2017 Branford Boase Longlist Announced

The longlist for the 2017 Branford Boase Award has been announced. Given annually to the author of an outstanding debut novel for children, the Branford Boase Award is known as ‘the one to watch’ because of its extraordinary track record in picking out the most talented stars of children’s literature. Previous winners and shortlisted authors include Siobhan Dowd, Meg Rosoff, Mal Peet, Philip Reeve, Frank Cottrell Boyce and Patrick Ness who all went on to win the UK’s most prestigious children’s book award, the CILIP Carnegie Medal; last year’s Costa Book Award winner Frances Hardinge won with her debut novel Fly By Night in 2006.

Uniquely, the Branford Boase Award also honours the editor of the winning title and highlights the importance of the editor in nurturing new talent.

In another bumper year for debuts, over 70 books were submitted, the highest number since the award was founded in 2000; 22 have made it onto the longlist. These include Orangeboy, Patrice Lawrence’s acclaimed novel set around vicious London boy gangs, which was shortlisted for this year’s Costa Children’s Book Award, and Beetle Boy, M G Leonard’s story of a boy and his friendship with an unusual beetle, which is already an international bestseller with rights sold in 35 countries.

This year the judges are Brenda Gardner, former children’s editor; Joanna Halpin, children’s manager at Waterstones Trafalgar Square; Elizabeth McDonald, winner of the 2016 Public Librarian of the Year Award; and Horatio Clare, author of Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot, winner of the 2016 Branford Boase Award. The panel is chaired by Julia Eccleshare, children’s director of the Hay Festival.

Julia Eccleshare says: 'Once again our longlist includes an enormously varied collection of interesting, well-written books. We read fantasy stories, mysteries, contemporary adventures, romances, books that made us laugh and books that made us hopeful; and we met characters who broaden our knowledge and understanding of the world. The variety and quality of the books submitted demonstrate the current healthy, boundary-expanding state of UK children’s literature.'

The shortlist for the Award will be announced on 8 May 2017. The winner will be announced on 5 July at a ceremony in London.